Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 255

(Ayah 255) ➊ This is Ayat al-Kursi, which is the greatest verse of the entire Noble Qur’an.
Ubayy bin Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O Abu Mundhir! Do you know which verse from the Book of Allah that you have is the greatest?” He says, I replied, Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) know best. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O Abu Mundhir! Do you know which verse from the Book of Allah that you have is the greatest?” He says, I replied: «اَللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ اَلْحَيُّ الْقَيُّوْمُ» (Ubayy bin Ka‘b, may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) struck his chest and said: “By Allah! (You have spoken the truth) O Abu Mundhir! May this knowledge be blessed for you.” [مسلم، صلوٰۃ المسافرین، باب فضل سورۃ الکہف و آیۃ الکرسی : ۸۱۰ ] Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates a long hadith, in which it is mentioned that he was appointed to guard the zakat al-fitr, and a man came three nights trying to steal, was caught twice and released after pleading, and on the third time, when caught, he told him: When you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi, and surely a protector from Allah will be appointed over you, and no devil will come near you until morning. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) let him go this time as well. In the morning, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: “What happened to your prisoner?” I narrated the whole story, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Know that he told you the truth, though he is a great liar.” Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “That was a devil.” [بخاری، الوکالۃ، باب إذا وکل رجلا فترک … : ۲۳۱۱، ۵۰۱۰ ]
From this hadith, along with the virtue of Ayat al-Kursi, it is also confirmed from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that the name of this verse is Ayat al-Kursi. Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing will prevent him from entering Paradise except death.” [عمل الیوم واللیلۃ للنسائی، ص : ۱۸۳۔ سلسلۃ الأحادیث الصحیحۃ : ۹۷۲۔ ابن کثیر اور البانی رحمہا اللہ نے اسے صحیح کہا ہے ]
➋ The longest verse of the Noble Qur’an: «اِذَا تَدَايَنْتُمْ بِدَيْنٍ » [البقرۃ : ۲۸۲ ] is, but the most magnificent verse is Ayat al-Kursi. The reason is that the subject of this verse is tawheed (monotheism), which is established in it through several proofs. Because of its subject and proofs, it is the greatest verse. Surah al-Ikhlas, despite being a short surah, is equal to one third of the Qur’an. [بخاری، فضائل القرآن، باب فضل : «قل ھو اللہ أحد » : ۵۰۱۳ ] The reason for this is also the greatness of the subject of tawheed. Point: In Ayat al-Kursi, the mention of Allah Almighty appears sixteen (16) times in the form of His names and pronouns. { ”يَعْلَمُ“ } and { ”شَآءَ“ } also contain pronouns.
➌ Ayat al-Kursi consists of a claim and its eleven proofs. The claim is: «اَللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ» that is, Allah is the One besides whom no worship is permissible.
First proof: He is { ”اَلْحَيُّ“ }, that is, He has always existed and will always exist, neither has a beginning nor an end. ‘Imran bin Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [كَانَ اللّٰهُ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْءٌ قَبْلَهُ ] “Allah Almighty has always existed and there was nothing before Him.” [بخاری، التوحید، باب «و کان عرشہ علی الماء » : ۷۴۱۸ ] No being other than Him possesses this quality. Thus, it is said: «هُوَ الْحَيُّ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ» [المؤمن : ۶۵ ] “He is the Ever-Living; there is no deity except Him.” Whatever else is worshipped besides Him is neither eternal nor everlasting; everything has emerged from the lap of death and will return to it, as He said: «كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَ كُنْتُمْ اَمْوَاتًا » [البقرۃ : ۲۸ ] “How can you disbelieve in Allah, while you were lifeless?” And He said: «وَ الَّذِيْنَ يَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ لَا يَخْلُقُوْنَ شَيْـًٔا وَّ هُمْ يُخْلَقُوْنَ (20) اَمْوَاتٌ غَيْرُ اَحْيَآءٍ وَ مَا يَشْعُرُوْنَ اَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُوْنَ» [النحل : ۲۰، ۲۱ ] “And those whom they invoke besides Allah create nothing, while they themselves are created. They are dead, not alive.”
He alone is the One who is everlasting
The inheritance of the world is only for Him
All else is destined for annihilation
None will remain, nor has anyone remained
All are travelers here, both rich and poor
Both slave and free are destined to depart (Hali)
Second proof: { ”الْقَيُّوْمُ“ } This is on the pattern of { ”قَامَ يَقُوْمُ“ } from { ”فَيْعُوْلٌ“ }, originally { ”قَيْوُوْمٌ“ }, the first waw was changed to ya, then the first ya was assimilated into the second, and with the addition of ya, further emphasis is created, meaning He is self-sustaining without any support and sustains and upholds others. Man, who claims to be { ”اَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الْاَعْلٰى“ }, cannot live even a moment without Allah Almighty’s support. The beating of his heart, the flow of his breath, the system of urination and defecation, the circulation of blood, sleep and wakefulness, even life and death—none of these are in his control, so how can he support others? The life of our Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), the hardships that befell him—his being wounded, falling from a horse and spraining, becoming ill, hunger, thirst, in short, his entire life bears witness to this. Then, in such a vast universe and countless creatures, who besides Allah is there who upholds them, that He should be considered the remover of difficulties, the giver, the helper, or the one who fills the lap? Regarding the heavens and the earth, He said: «اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ اَنْ تَزُوْلَا» [فاطر : ۴۱ ] “Indeed, Allah holds the heavens and the earth lest they move from their places.” Regarding the flying birds, He said: «مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ اِلَّا الرَّحْمٰنُ » [الملک : ۱۹ ] “None holds them except the Most Merciful.”
Third proof: { ”لَا تَاْخُذُهٗ سِنَةٌ وَّ لَا نَوْمٌ“ ”سِنَةٌ“ } Originally { ”وَسَنٌ“ }, like { ”وَعْدٌ“ } from { ”عِدَةٌ“ }, the initial “waw” was omitted and “ta” was brought at the end. The meaning is drowsiness that comes before sleep, when a person is between sleeping and waking. { ”سِنَةٌ“ } and { ”نَوْمٌ“ } are translated due to the tanween: “Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep,” meaning Allah Almighty is not overtaken by even the slightest drowsiness or sleep. From this, it is understood that drowsiness and sleep are such powerful things that when they come upon someone, they seize him, and man is helpless before them. Our Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) once woke up for the morning prayer after sunrise. Allah Almighty is free from both drowsiness and sleep, because if drowsiness or sleep were to overtake Him, the universe would collide and perish. If you want to experiment, give even the most alert person a glass in each hand and keep him awake for a night or two and see what happens.
Fourth proof: { ”لَهٗ مَا فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِي الْاَرْضِ“ } That is, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth belongs to Him. [مزيد ديكهيے مريم : ۹۳ تا ۹۵] When He is the Owner, then worship is His right alone. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Yahya (peace be upon him) explained to the Children of Israel by Allah’s command that worship Allah alone and do not associate anything with Him. Its example is like a man who bought a slave with his pure wealth of gold or silver, and said to the slave: This is my house and this is my work, work in it and give me its earnings. The slave works all day and in the evening gives the earnings to someone other than the owner. Which of you would like such a slave?” [ترمذی، الأدب، باب ما جاء فی مثل الصلوٰۃ … : ۲۸۶۳، و صححہ الألبانی ]
Fifth proof: { ”مَنْ ذَا الَّذِيْ يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهٗۤ اِلَّا بِاِذْنِهٖ“ } That is, who is there who can intercede with Him except by His permission? In the verse before Ayat al-Kursi, all forms of intercession on the Day of Judgment are negated, and here intercession is made possible with Allah’s permission. The meaning is that it is not possible for any human, jinn, or angel to dare to intercede for anyone without Allah’s permission. Even our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he goes to intercede, upon seeing his Lord, will fall into prostration and praise Allah with praises that Allah will teach him at that time, then Allah will command him to raise his head and set a limit, saying: Take these people out of Hell. [بخاری، التوحید، باب قول اللہ تعالٰی : «لما خلقت بيدي» : ۷۴۱۰ ]
On the Day of Judgment, let alone intercession, no one will even dare to speak without Allah’s permission, as He said: «يَوْمَ يَقُوْمُ الرُّوْحُ وَ الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُ صَفًّا لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُوْنَ اِلَّا مَنْ اَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمٰنُ وَ قَالَ صَوَابًا » [النبا : ۳۸ ] “The Day that the Spirit and the angels will stand in rows, they will not speak except for one whom the Most Merciful permits, and he will say what is correct.”
The belief that anyone can force Allah Almighty to accept their word, or that Allah will be compelled to accept someone’s intercession out of love for them, is pure ignorance; this was also the belief of the polytheists of Makkah. For details, see Surah az-Zumar (3) and Surah Yunus (18). There, nothing is accepted except humility and supplication, and nothing avails except by His own mercy and permission. To understand the subject of intercession well, study the third chapter of Shah Isma‘il Dehlawi’s book “Taqwiyat al-Iman.”
Sixth proof: { ”يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ اَيْدِيْهِمْ وَ مَا خَلْفَهُمْ“ } That is, He knows what is before them and what is behind them. “Before” refers to present things and “behind” refers to absent things. This includes knowledge of the past, present, and future. No being other than Him possesses this attribute, as He said: «قُلْ لَّا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَ مَا يَشْعُرُوْنَ اَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُوْنَ » [النمل : ۶۵ ] “Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.” When Allah Almighty is aware of all the past, present, and future states of us and the entire universe, then worship is His right alone.
Seventh proof: { ”وَ لَا يُحِيْطُوْنَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهٖۤ اِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ“ } That is, no one can encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills, as He said: «عٰلِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلٰى غَيْبِهٖۤ اَحَدًا (26) اِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضٰى مِنْ رَّسُوْلٍ» [الجن : ۲۶، ۲۷ ] “(He is) Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His unseen to anyone, except a messenger whom He has chosen.” Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has also mentioned another possible meaning: that no one besides Allah can be informed of anything regarding Allah’s essence and attributes except what He Himself wills and informs, as if this verse is similar in meaning to: « وَ لَا يُحِيْطُوْنَ بِهٖ عِلْمًا » [طٰہٰ : ۱۱۰ ] “And they do not encompass Him in knowledge.”
In the story of Musa and Khidr (peace be upon them), it is mentioned that a bird pecked once or twice at the sea, so Khidr (peace be upon him) said to Musa (peace be upon him): “My knowledge and your knowledge have not diminished from Allah’s knowledge except as much as this bird’s peck has diminished from the sea.” [بخاری، العلم، باب ما یستحب للعالم… : ۱۲۲ ] Now think for yourself: is Allah Almighty worthy of worship, or this helpless creation?
Eighth proof: { ”وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ“ } The meaning of kursi is well known among all people, that is, the thing upon which one sits. According to the righteous predecessors, its meaning is indeed “kursi.” According to them, Allah Almighty’s kursi exists, and we believe in its existence, even though we do not know what it is like, because this is beyond human capacity. However, as the Qur’an states, His kursi is greater than the heavens and the earth, and we believe in this.
Among later commentators, some have adopted the view of the predecessors, but some have said that kursi means Allah’s dominion, and some have said it means knowledge. Generally, these are those who also deny the ‘Arsh (Throne), so they plainly say that there is neither a Throne nor a kursi, but rather, what is meant is Allah’s dominion and authority. But this meaning of kursi is not literal but metaphorical, which is used when the literal meaning is impossible, whereas taking Allah’s Throne and kursi in their literal sense does not entail any problem. As for the thought that this would make Allah resemble humans, while nothing is like Him, according to the statement of the predecessors, we do not say that His kursi is like our chairs; rather, it is as befits the majesty of Allah Almighty. Man is ‘alim (knowledgeable), as He said: « وَ بَشَّرُوْهُ بِغُلٰمٍ عَلِيْمٍ» [الذاریات : ۲۸ ] “And they gave him glad tidings of a very knowledgeable son,” and Allah Almighty is also ‘alim, so should we deny Allah’s being ‘alim because it would entail resemblance? No, rather Allah is ‘alim as befits His majesty. Take an even greater example: man exists, so should we deny Allah’s existence because it would entail resemblance to man? No, never. Therefore, Allah’s attributes must be accepted as they have come. Yes, those attributes are not like the attributes of creation. In the verse, this phrase is also a proof of tawheed: the vastness of Allah Almighty’s kursi is a proof of His being the only deity.
Ninth proof: { ”وَ لَا يَـُٔوْدُهٗ حِفْظُهُمَا“ } { ”آدَ يَؤُوْدُ“ } means for something to become a heavy burden, to cause hardship. No matter how great the creation is, it cannot protect itself, whereas for Allah Almighty, the protection of the heavens and the earth is no burden.
Tenth and eleventh proofs: { ”وَ هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيْمُ“ } Loftiness and greatness are attributes of Allah Almighty; creation is nothing compared to Allah’s loftiness and greatness, so only Allah Almighty is worthy of worship. Finally, it is also necessary to point out another point present in this verse: this verse begins with the name of Allah, {”اَللّٰهُ“}, which is comprehensive of all attributes, and it cannot be used for anyone among creation. The gods mentioned in all religions can be made plural or dual, such as goddesses, gods, and “Gods,” etc., but the word “Allah” remains singular; it can neither be made plural nor dual. This too is a powerful proof of Allah Almighty’s oneness. If this point is also included, then there are twelve proofs of tawheed present in the verse.

255. 1 This is Ayat al-Kursi, whose great virtue is established from Sahih ahadith. For example, this verse is the greatest verse of the Quran. By reciting it at night, one is protected from Shaytan; there is great virtue in reciting it after every obligatory prayer (Ibn Kathir). This is a most comprehensive verse based on the majestic attributes of Allah, His exalted status, and His power and greatness.

255. 2 Some have interpreted "Kursi" as the place of the feet (the place to put one's feet), some as knowledge, some as power and greatness, some as sovereignty, and some as the Throne. However, regarding the attributes of Allah, the position of the Muhaddithin and the Salaf is that the attributes of Allah should be believed in exactly as they are described in the Quran and Hadith, without interpretation or describing their modality. Therefore, one should simply believe that this is indeed a Kursi, which is separate from the Throne; what its modality is, how He is seated upon it, we cannot describe, because we are unaware of its reality.

255. Allah—there is no deity except Him. [361] He is the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? [362] He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. [363] His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Most Great.

[361] This verse is famous by the name of Ayat al-Kursi, and in it, such complete knowledge of Allah Almighty is described, the like of which is not found elsewhere. That is why this verse has been declared the most virtuous verse of the Quran, as is clear from the following hadiths.

Virtues of Ayat al-Kursi:

1. It is narrated from Ubayy bin Ka'b ؓ that he asked me, "Abu Mundhir! Do you know which is the most magnificent verse with you from the Book of Allah?" I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He asked again: "Abu Mundhir! Do you know which verse from the Book of Allah is the greatest with you?" I said:
﴿لاَ اِلٰهَ الآَ هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّوْمُ﴾
He struck his hand on my chest and said: "Abu Mundhir! May knowledge be blessed for you." [مسلم، كتاب فضائل القرآن وما يتعلق به۔ باب فضل سورة كهف و آية الكرسي]

2. Hazrat Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ appointed me to guard the charity of Fitr. Someone came and started stealing the grain. I caught him and said: "I will take you to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." He said: "I am needy, with dependents, and in great distress." So I let him go. In the morning, the Prophet ﷺ asked me: "Abu Hurairah! What did your prisoner say last night?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he complained of need and dependents. I felt pity and let him go." He said: "Be aware, he is a liar and will come to you again." The next night, he came again and started taking the grain. I caught him and said: "Today I will surely take you to the Prophet ﷺ." He said: "Let me go, I am needy and have dependents, I will not come again." I felt pity again and let him go. In the morning, the Prophet ﷺ asked: "Abu Hurairah! What did your prisoner do?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he complained of severe need and dependents, I felt pity and let him go." He said: "Be aware, he is a liar and will come again." So, the third time, I lay in wait. He came and started gathering the grain. I said: "Now I will surely take you to the Prophet ﷺ. This is the third time, and every time you say you will not come again, but you do."

Even a Liar Sometimes Speaks the Truth:

He said: "Let me go, I will teach you some words that will benefit you." I said: "What are they?" He said: "When you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi. An angel from Allah will guard you, and Satan will not come near you until morning." So I let him go again. In the morning, the Prophet ﷺ asked me: "What did your prisoner do last night?" I told him the whole story, and he said: "He spoke the truth, though he is a liar." Then he said to me: "Abu Hurairah! Do you know who has been coming to you for three nights?" I said: "No." He said: "That was Satan." [بخاري۔ كتاب الوكالة باب اذا و كل رجلا فترك الوكيل شيأ..... الخ]

3. Hazrat Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Everything has a hump, and the hump of the Quran is Surah al-Baqarah, and in it is a verse which is the chief of all the verses of the Quran, and that is Ayat al-Kursi." [ترمذي۔ ابواب التفسير۔ باب ماجاء فى سورة البقرة و آية الكرسي]

The Essential Attributes of Divinity and the Falsity of All False Gods:

The greatness of this verse is that it not only describes the praise and sanctity of Allah Almighty but also cuts the root of all forms of shirk. At the beginning, Allah Almighty said that there is no god except Him, and as proof of this, He mentioned two things or two attributes: one is that He is «حَيٌّ», alive from eternity and will remain forever. This means that any being that is not «حي» cannot be a god. If judged by this standard, the divinity of all other gods is invalid, because they are created, and whatever is created is necessarily subject to annihilation or death. Whether these deities belong to inanimate objects, plants, animals, humans, angels, jinn, or celestial bodies, all these things are created, and none of them fully possesses the attribute of being «حَيٌّ». The second attribute mentioned is that He is self-subsisting and sustains all other things. This attribute is also not found in any deity other than Allah. The celestial bodies themselves are bound and revolve under a law. The stone idols are dependent on their worshippers to wash and clean them, and whenever they wish, they can replace them, and their divinity is maintained by those caretakers and disciples who collect offerings from people and attribute false stories and legends to these saints to frighten people and force them to present offerings. If these people withdraw their patronage, their godhood cannot last even a day. Then it is said that neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. This is the sanctification of Allah Almighty from defects. Drowsiness is the initial stage of sleep, and sleep is an involuntary state that overtakes every living being when it becomes tired from work. In such a state, sleep overcomes and renders it unconscious, and there are some signs of death in it. That is why in hadiths, sleep is called the sister of death, and in some hadiths, it is even referred to as death. If Allah Almighty were to be overtaken by drowsiness or sleep, the entire system of this universe would be disrupted in an instant, and all gods besides Allah are either already dead or are subject to drowsiness, sleep, and death; therefore, they cannot be gods.

The Strict Condition for Intercession:

Then it is said that all things in the heavens and the earth belong to Him, and He is their owner, and it is obvious that something that is itself owned by another cannot be a god. Then it is said that no one will be allowed to intercede with Him except by His permission. Even the Arabs believed in intercession with Allah in some form, and this intercession could be for worldly matters or for salvation in the Hereafter. The belief of the polytheists regarding intercession was that their deities, angels, or saints, since they themselves possess delegated powers from Allah, can benefit them in every way, and since they are beloved to Allah, not only can they intercede with Allah, but they can also put pressure on Him to save their followers from Allah's grasp and fix their affairs. Since this belief leads to reliance and trust on others instead of Allah, it has been strongly refuted, and this door of shirk has been closed. At the same time, by saying «الا باذنه», the total negation of intercession was not made, but by imposing several conditions, the belief in reliance on intercession was completely abolished. These conditions are that Allah will grant permission to whomever He wills to intercede, and for whomever He wills, and for whatever matter He allows intercession. The intercessor will only be able to intercede regarding that matter. Then it is said that Allah is fully aware of all the past and future, the former and latter states of all people, while others have not even reached the dust of Allah's vast knowledge. Intercession is such that a certain person has committed a certain act by mistake or deliberately, but his previous record is completely clean, so his sin should be forgiven. But what addition can the supposed intercessors of these polytheists make to Allah's knowledge? They have only as much knowledge as Allah has granted them, and one who does not even have complete knowledge of himself, how can he have knowledge about others?

Ayat al-Kursi: The Treasure of Divine Knowledge:

Then it is said that His Kursi encompasses the entire universe. Here, some people have interpreted Kursi as authority, but we do not agree with their view; rather, in our opinion, the comprehensiveness in the meaning of the word Kursi is not found in authority. Then, where can anyone escape from Allah's grasp? Then it is said that the management and protection of the universe does not tire or burden Allah Almighty. Therefore, Allah Almighty should not be likened to humans and their weaknesses. The Being of Allah Almighty is above all kinds of analogies and is full of greatness. Thus, in these last sentences, again the sanctification of Allah Almighty is described. In other words, in all aspects—praise, glorification, and sanctification—this verse is a comprehensive verse.

[362] Here we mention three authentic hadiths which shed light on several aspects of intercession. For example, that the Day of Resurrection will be so terrifying that even the greatest prophets will not dare to intercede before Allah, and finally, the lot will fall to the Prophet of the Last Age; also, for whom intercession will be made; and what is the reality of those among us who make fearless promises of intercession to their disciples, or those who have based their salvation in the Hereafter solely on the intercession of their saints and spiritual leaders, etc.

1. Hazrat Anas ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: On the Day of Resurrection, the believers will gather and say: "It is better that we seek someone to intercede for us before our Lord." They will go to Adam ؑ and say: "You are the father of all people. Allah created you with His own hand, made the angels prostrate to you, and taught you the names of all things. So intercede for us with your Lord, that He may relieve us from this distress." He will say: "I am not fit for this," and remembering his mistake, he will feel ashamed to go before Allah and will say: "Go to Noah; he is the first messenger whom Allah sent to the people of the earth." The people will go to Noah, and he will say: "I am not fit for this." He will remember the question he asked his Lord without knowledge and will feel ashamed, then say: "Go to Allah's Khalil (Hazrat Ibrahim ؑ)." The people will go to him, and he will also say: "I am not fit for this. Go to Musa ؑ; he is a servant to whom Allah spoke and gave the Torah." So the people will go to Musa ؑ, and he will say: "I am not fit for this." He will remember his unjust killing and will feel ashamed to go before his Lord and will say: "Go to Isa; he is Allah's servant, His messenger, His word, and His spirit." Now the people will go to him, and he will say: "I am not fit for this. Go to Muhammad ﷺ; he is the (close) servant whose all past and future faults Allah has forgiven."

The Greatest Intercession:

Then the people will come to me, and I will go and seek permission to present myself before my Lord. I will be granted permission. When I see my Lord, I will fall in prostration, and I will remain in prostration as long as my Lord wills. Then it will be said: "Raise your head and ask, you will be given; speak, you will be heard; intercede, your intercession will be accepted." Then I will raise my head and praise Him with such praises as Allah will teach me at that time. Then I will intercede, and a limit will be set for me. I will admit those people to Paradise. Then I will return to my Lord, and when I see my Lord, I will fall in prostration as before. Then I will intercede, and a limit will be set for me, and I will admit them to Paradise. Then, for the third time, I will return to my Lord, then for the fourth time, and I will say: "O Lord! Now only those remain in Hell who, according to the Quran, deserve to go to Hell and must remain there forever." [ بخاري، كتاب التفسير] under the verse
﴿ عَلَّمَ اٰدَمَ الأَسْمَاءَ﴾

2. Hazrat Abu Sa'id Khudri ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "On the Day of Resurrection, I will be the leader of all the children of Adam, and there is no pride in this, and the banner of praise will be in my hand, and there is no pride in this, and Adam and all the other prophets will be under my banner, and the earth will be split for me first (for resurrection), and there is no pride in this." Then he said three times that the people will be very anxious that day. They will go to Adam ؑ and say: "You are our father, so intercede for us with our Lord." He will say: "I committed such a sin because of which I was sent down to earth. Rather, you should go to Noah." The people will go to Noah ؑ, and he will say: "I prayed against all the people of the earth, and they were destroyed. Rather, you should go to Ibrahim." The people will go to Ibrahim ؑ, and he will say: "I told three lies." Then the Prophet ﷺ said: "He did not tell any lies except for the sake of supporting the religion." Then Hazrat Ibrahim ؑ will say: "You should go to Musa." The people will go to Musa ؑ, and he will say: "I killed a man." Now you should go to Isa. He will say: "People made me a deity besides Allah. You should go to Muhammad ﷺ." Then all the people will come to me, so I will go with them and knock at the door of Paradise. Someone inside will ask: "Who is this?" It will be said: "It is Muhammad ﷺ." Then they will open the door for me, welcome me, and receive me with honor. I will fall in prostration. At that time, Allah will inspire me with His praise and glorification. Then I will be told: "Raise your head and ask, you will be given; intercede, your intercession will be accepted; and your word will be heard." And this is the Maqam Mahmood (the Praised Station) which Allah has mentioned in this verse:
﴿ وَمِنَ الَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهٖ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ ڰ عَسٰٓي اَنْ يَّبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُوْدًا﴾
[ترمذی، ابواب التفسیر، سورۃ بنی اسرائیل]

3. Hazrat Abu Hurairah ؓ says that I asked the Prophet ﷺ: "O Messenger of Allah! Who will be most deserving of your intercession on the Day of Resurrection?" He said: "Abu Hurairah! I knew that no one would ask me this before you, because I see how eager you are to hear hadith. So listen: My intercession will be most for the one who says «لا اله الا الله» with a sincere heart." [ بخاري، كتاب العلم۔ باب الحرص على الحديث]

[363]
The Vastness of Allah's Knowledge:

Because this universe and its vastness are limitless, and its comprehension is beyond human capacity. The more powerful telescopes man invents, the more his amazement increases at the vastness of the universe. Then how can he encompass its knowledge? Man's knowledge is only as much as Allah Almighty has granted to the prophets through revelation, or as man himself has acquired through experimentation with some things, and this is like a drop of water compared to the ocean.